“Dispatch the agents – we must know if it is true.” A heavily robed figure says to the assembled group of shadowy figures.
“At once, master.”
The room quickly empties, leaving the robed figure to ponder their next move.
City of Sharn:
You have received word that House Medani and House Tharashk are seeking volunteers to help them out with a problem that has arisen in Xendrik.
Various leaflets and posters have been posted all through Sharn, and they have attracted your attention.
You are to be at the House Medani enclave in the city of Sharn on the morning of 20 Zarantyr 999 at sunrise.
That was two weeks ago.
You awaken well before sunrise on the 20th, somewhat excited about the prospect of a new challenge, and also interested to see what the two great houses need from outsiders – for it seemed to be a somewhat uncommon event – first, for Tharashk and Medani to be working together, and second, to want the services of non-house members.
After hurriedly assembling your gear, you depart for the enclave in the heart of the city, bidding adieu to your landlord, as you honestly do not know if you will be back to your room today, or in several months.
The morning fog is thick, and as you ascend higher into the city, it becomes thicker and thicker, reducing your visibility remarkedly. You could have sworn that you saw something small with wings out of the corner of your eyes, but when you stopped and looked, you did not see anything. You begin to think you are lost, when you see the familiar shadow of the building before you.
The enclave rises out of the mist majestically – the ornately carved features and the gold-inlaid coat of arms of the House Medani comes into view.
Two half-elves, clad in silver chain shirts and holding staves, stand watch at the main gates, and you see 6 others, of all races and sizes, already there before you.
As you arrive, the morning sun peeks out for a split second from behind the mist, before disappearing once again.
The half-elves nod to one another and then motion to you.
“Welcome. We have been expecting you, so please to be following us. Also, be aware that outside magic is not allowed within the doors of our enclave.”
The one on the left beckons for you to follow, and the doors behind him begin to swing open – of their own accord it seems.
You follow the first half-elf, and notice the second fall in behind the last of the group.
You are lead through the entryway of the outer bailey of the enclave, past a reflecting pond, and into a large meeting room.
In the center of the room is a large wooden table, seemingly crafted out of one large tree – some 6’ across and 20’ long. The natural grain runs the length of the table, two polished tree trunks give support to table.
On a side table, are pitchers of various juices, along with platters filled with various breakfast meats and breads.
“Please have a seat, Bendis will be with your shortly.”
About five minutes elapse, and a young-looking half-elf in robes appears through a door opposite the one you came in. He is followed by a middle-aged human, dressed in a shining breastplate with a cloak, with the coat of arms of House Tharashk emblazoned on the clip, around his neck.
“Good morning, and thank you for coming – My name is Bendis, Bendis Aldarn d’Medani, and this is Darvir, of House Tharashk.”
Darvir gives a slight nod at Yoggrith when he sees him.
Yoggrith
You know of Darvir and have great respect for his leadership in the House, but have not worked personally with him in the past
“You are aware of the information presented on the fliers – we are in need of a group to discover what is happening on the southern continent of Xendrik.”
“The native giants have become aggressive and coordinated war parties of Hill, Frost, and Fire have been spotted together – something that has not occurred in the past, and has put the harvesting of dragonshards well behind schedule for House Tharashk." Bendis traces his fingers through the air, bringing an image of dragonshards into view before you.
He continues, "They have even lost two groups that were dispatched in a search-and-rescue capacity – these groups were among their elite forces.”
He pauses.
"House Tharashk wishes the remains of their fallen found."
“Our seers have been receiving more and more visions of giants as well, of all kinds -- cloud, storm, stone, along with the others, but have been unable to make sense of them at this point. They have also seen scorpions..."
“We have procured an airship, the Precarious Retreat, from House Lyrander, to take you to the southern city of Stormreach – it is the main port of entry into Xendrik. The travel itself should take 3 days. Once in Stormreach, you are to go to the Tharashk enclave, where Darvir's brother, Barvidor, will be waiting for you. He will give you more up to date recon and information about where the groups were when they were attacked and put down. They will be sending along a few support personnel along with you.”
Sanne
You know of the Precarious Retreat -- it is a small vessel by Lyranderian Airship standards, but the captain is competent and respected. His name is Dalwir Alden d'Lyrander, you have met, and worked with, him before. You are envious of his post as captain of the ship, for he is not as skilled as you, but is very well connected within the house.
Darvir remains silent next to the Medani wizard, looking over each of you, as if trying to determine if you stand a chance at being successful.
“You will be paid handsomely if you are able to determine what is coordinating the giants attacks, along with letters of credit for House services from Medani and Tharashk.”
“Please keep in mind that our seers have detected the presence of the Emerald Claw in their visions. Be vigilant to their machinations.”
“Now, if you do not have any questions, I will dispatch you to the services of my nephew, Vortan, who will escort you to the airfield.”
Voadam looks contemplative as he considers for a moment before speaking. "I have a few questions. First, how many members were in these two groups whose remains you wish recovered? You said they were elite forces. So second, what can you tell us of their compositions? What races and identifying marks can we use to positively identify them if we find bodies? Third what can you tell us of the local interactions of the Houses and the native giants prior to these occurrences?"
Aeranduil ponders Bendis' words, rubbing the smooth skin of his chin with one hand. He catches himself quickly, though, dropping his hand to his side. He had picked up the habit somewhere, and it was decidedly un-elflike. The elf turns his attention to the rest of the assemblage, his keen emerald eyes taking in the details of his soon to be companions. He didn't know any of them, but a 3 day trip to the southern continent would provide more than ample time for such social niceties.
As Bendis draws to a close, the elf turns his attention back to the man. He had no questions. Giants, hated giants, were involved in the problems, and Aeranduil had dedicated himself to slaying the foul brutes. He only needed to where they were.
__________________ -Rhun
"I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge - myth is more potent than history - dreams are more powerful than facts - hope always triumphs over experience - laughter is the cure for grief - love is stronger than death." -Robert Fulghum
Having no questions here, Sanne simply nodded. The ones she wanted to talk to were the people she'd be undertaking this adventure with -- and the Tharashk retainer who was to give them more details.
She was a slight, short woman just shy of her middle years, by Khoravar standards (OOC: she's 4' 9", 90 lbs, and 46 years old), but she doubted anyone would think the rapier she carried was for show. Those familiar with dragonmarks would recognize the edges of the Mark of Storm peeking out from under her collar, hardly a surprise in someone in an expertly tailored version of House Lyrandar's uniform. Her blonde hair was cut short for practicality, but it meant anyone who walked behind her could see her Mark. And Lyrandar's captains and senior officers were as known for their brashness as their ability to back that brashness up.
Jaxel nodded and waggled his bushy eyebrows at his new companions appraisingly. Some of them had the hardened look of seasoned adventurers...Others however looked like soft-footed scholarly types. The gnome then squinted sourly as if he had tasted something sour."Sure t'be a lotta hard travelling. Y'all up tah task? Got yer hikin' boots and all?" he asked in a twangy drawl.
Bendis looks appreciatively at the fellow wizard, then nods at Darvir.
Quote:
"I have a few questions. First, how many members were in these two groups whose remains you wish recovered? You said they were elite forces. So second, what can you tell us of their compositions? What races and identifying marks can we use to positively identify them if we find bodies? Third what can you tell us of the local interactions of the Houses and the native giants prior to these occurrences?"
The scion of Tharashk slowly steps up to the table and looks toward Voadam.
"Each group consisted of 8 members of House Tharashk. Each bear the mark of the house, 3 humans and 5 half-orcs in the first party, and 4 humans and 4 half-orcs in the second."
"We sent a sending stone along with the first group. They were gone a little over a week, and had just made camp at the Titan's Teeth, when we received the last sending. It was from the Stormreach's Enclave Commander's son, a battle-hardened youth, who grew up on continent. They were under attack. Giants -- Hill and Fire -- could be seen and heard in the background. We were able to make out 'They must not get dragonshards' in giantish. We didn't get much more information from him, before a large greatsword decapitated him and the stone went blank. His father is heartbroken, along with the rest of the House."
"The second group contained one of our House priests. He was able to dispatch a sending during their attack -- they were attacked at night. They had camped without a fire, posted sentries. An unnatural fog overcame their campsite, temporarily blinding them. When they finally could see, they were swarmed by giants. The priest had mentioned that one of them seemed to be infused with eldritch power."
"These men were not amateurs, having been on continent for several summers -- well trained in jungle survival and tactics."
"My brother should be able to tell you more once you are on continent."
The man looks spent, after recounting the tale.
"As far as our relationship with the giants, well... We really haven't had much dealings with them, they have pretty much left our expeditions alone in the past, as they have been quite disorganized and more interested in fighting within their tribes or with other tribes. They haven't had much use for the dragonshards that we gather, besides jewelry, that we know of."
Jaxel chewed on some unknown piece of jerky or tobacco like a cow on her cud while he continued. "I don't like it. Giants are hornery cusses fer sure, and attackin' yer kinfolk taint that strange but all these diff'rent workin t'gether. Not just strange but unheard of! Somethin or Someone has got em riled."
Voadam nods throughout the telling as he soaks up the details, giving the recitation his full attention. "Magically active members among the raiders then. That will necessitate a change in my planned tactics and choices of prepared magics. Good to know."
"Lookers and Finders- oh my very favorite," Ipshivi thought as she approached the House enclave- she had been having the same thought pretty much constantly over the last few days. For someone as curious and secretive as she was, the idea of wading into such a place was not an easy choice, but the rumors and the challenge were simply too tempting to ignore. She lurked as best she could, but the Medani were not easy to fool. Once she heard the part about "no outside magic", she reluctantly became visible- a slender halfling woman clad in well-made leathers...
Even without the aid of magic, though, her steps were all but silent, and she seemed to slink almost naturally wherever there was the hint of a shadow. Her head turned this way and that, nearly a comical imitation of a wild animal on dangerous ground. Within the conference room, she kept fidgeting, looking constantly this way and that (and under the table, behind the door, under each chair...). But once the briefing was concluded, she spoke but little- though she listened intently to all the other questions, and to their answers. "I figure we'll get more answers, and fresher ones, once we're there in Stormreach. And I hope, I do, that we'll find some hint of your people- but I've heard that giants, well, they ain't said to be picky eaters. Now, when do we leave?"
Jaxel chewed on some unknown piece of jerky or tobacco like a cow on her cud while he continued. "I don't like it. Giants are hornery cusses fer sure, and attackin' yer kinfolk taint that strange but all these diff'rent workin t'gether. Not just strange but unheard of! Somethin or Someone has got em riled."
"And the question, of course, is if it is possible to unrile them. Short of by the obvious means." Sanne said.
"I don't like it. Giants are hornery cusses fer sure, and attackin' yer kinfolk taint that strange but all these diff'rent workin t'gether. Not just strange but unheard of! Somethin or Someone has got em riled."
"I agree with the small one," says Aeranduil, nodding toward the gnome. "I've spent many years hunting the foul likes of giants, and cooperation between different tribes only comes when someone has the necessary power to pull the tribes together. And anything powerful enough to pull various giant tribes together in the spirit of mutual cooperation should frighten us to our very core."
__________________ -Rhun
"I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge - myth is more potent than history - dreams are more powerful than facts - hope always triumphs over experience - laughter is the cure for grief - love is stronger than death." -Robert Fulghum
The Last War had created many heroes, of many different kinds of war. And though the great battles were over, smaller ones, waged now more by spies, assassins, and diplomats dominated the scene. Not good news for a powerful nature scion with the subtlety of a lightning strike. Morika had felt herself to do great good in fighting for the Eldeen Reaches' freedom, but it wasn't something so easily set aside after the war ended.
She followed the gentle, beautiful Greensingers, the elf and fey-kin that inhabited the wilds of the forests, but she was not welcome amongs their inner conclaves. For good reason too, she was hardly one of them. A few of the moonspeakers had managed to penetrate that sacred circle, but Morika had been relieved not to have been invited. She would not have sullied their beauty with her presence.
So she had traveled, going from the wilds of the woods to the wilds of stone, lodging herself in Sharn after a time, finding work in dispatching natural menaces along the way, or bands of ruffians left over from the war. There was still work for her to do, but none of it had captured her imagination as her battles for the freedom of the Reaches had.
But this flier...
Nobles merchant houses and Xen'drik to boot? Now there's something worth doing. And mysterious as my dog's father, she thought with a harsh laugh, referring to an old joke about the mongrel dogs of the Reaches.
~~~~~~~
At the Meeting...
Morika looked about at the group as their potential employer broke the news. Some of them needed a strong hand in guarding, that was for fair. She only hoped they could fling their magic and arrows fast enough to avoid becoming paste. The Lyrander scion surprised her a bit, but with airship travel in the offing, it was comforting to know they'd be flying with an expert. Otherwise Morika would have thought about flying her own self!
Morika fancied herself the toughest in the room; for certain she was the ugliest and most scarred. Her heavy forehead and thick brown hair on her head, sideburns, forearms and shoulders marked her as a shifter, as did the hunched, nearly quadraped stance. Her nose had been broken more than once, and burn scars laced on shoulder. Claw marks tracked across the back of her left hand. In different to her employer, she showed no weapons, though bore a backpack easily. Her leather armor was well-worn and showed not a hint of damage, and she wore it with the air one might wear a suit of comfortable clothes.
"Fire, frost, hill giants, possible cloud and others, plus magic, and scorpions and possibly also the Emerald Claw? And you lost all those other people?" she asked rhetorically, her voice harsh as a crow's. She smiles, and it isn't a pleasent sight. "Sounds like a real fight. So, what're ya paying us, aside from these voucher bits? Vaguely generous doesn't get me on an airship, yer canny Lordship. And how long are you wanting us to search? I like a giant-infested jungle as much as the next fool, but I'd not want to be tramping around there from now until next Midsummer, ye ken?" Morika's use of the titles doesn't, quite, sounds insulting, but it's very clear she was raised far from any seat of power.
Aeranduil frowns at scarred woman's mercantile considerations, and reaches up to brush a stray luck of lustrous copper-toned hair out of his face. He'd have to keep an eye on the shifter. Among the elves of his tribe, it was considered a high honor to serve the needs of the people. While fair compensation could always be expected, one did not expect great rewards for providing such service.
__________________ -Rhun
"I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge - myth is more potent than history - dreams are more powerful than facts - hope always triumphs over experience - laughter is the cure for grief - love is stronger than death." -Robert Fulghum
When the scion of House Tharashk nods at the dark halfork, there is no return reaction. If Yoggrith has any feelings one way or the other towards the man, he makes no indicaton. Instead, he just sits silently at the table staring off into space and listens with half an ear. For the others in the chamber when they look at him, it would appear as though he was sitting hunched in a darkened corner of the room... if it wasn't for the fact he sits up straight and is smack dab in the center of the table. Who knows what kind of deviltry might be causing this optical illusion, but the way he sits you'd be hard-pressed to figure out if he was just an anti-social lout or perhaps a bit touched in the head? In any event, he seems to barely perceive what is happening, until he opens his mouth to speak in a low voice (presumbly to the people in charge, but he makes no indication of who he is actually speaking to.)
"You have thus far sent two groups of eight supposedly trained journeymen of your House to Xen'drik to face these giants, and both have been slaughtered unmercifully. You now are sending a group of seven people you have hired randomly off the street in their place. It is therefore obvious you either do not wish this mission to succeed... or you are just stupid and do not learn from your mistakes."
The darkened halfork interlaces his fingers together and continues staring off into space.
"I will go along because it is the will of my Lord to do so... but I will definitely alert him before we leave the stupidity with which you humans and khoravars conduct your business. I should think this will be the last time you'll be able to hire and then throw away any of my Lord's retainers so casually."
Morika turns her sharp-toothed smile on the half-orc. He had taken other works right off of her tongue, and that amused her. Few were willing to speak uncomfortable truths, but this fellow did it well. He'd seem to be fair company. The others undoubtedly had their roles to play as well, but not on the front lines. They were far too pretty for that, and Morika had her self-appointed duty to preserve beauty. If, of course, they didn't of swamp fever the first week.
"Well, I'd take seven Lyrandar Windwright Captains over eight Tharashk journeymen, and I have to think the rest of you are at least as good as me." Sanne said. "Tharashk and Medani weren't taking just anyone for this job."
"Well, I'd take seven Lyrandar Windwright Captains over eight Tharashk journeymen, and I have to think the rest of you are at least as good as me." Sanne said. "Tharashk and Medani weren't taking just anyone for this job."
Jaxel snorts. "I dunno if'n it be stupid to hire on expendable resources who can't cash in on thier pay if'n they die as opposed ta keep on sendin' yer own Kith and Kin. And o'course they showed a razor keen sense of judgement by findin' the best Tracker and Killer of Giants known to Gnomekind and wavin' some prize under his Gnose. Best to my recollection the only act o' stupidity I have seen is some windbag flappin his jaw while pretendin ta be a centerpiece at The King's feast-table.
Last time I saw a face like that sittin' on a table it had an apple in its mouth!"
Ipshivi listened and watched intently as questions and dissent made their way around the table. She had a high enough opinion of her own skill as a scout that there wasn't any doubt she'd accept the mission. If some of the others didn't want to go, well, that meant more treasure, more glory, more accomplishment for those who did go... She stood up on her chair, and leaned forward. "It's not like giants ain't got treasure- and whoever is behind this little alliance probably has even more. Not to mention the kind of reputation this kind of run could earn ya... Now let's get going, shall we. Those giants ain't getting any smaller or any dumber." Her voice was confident, even cheerful, but her phrasing was a bit odd, like a city dweller deliberately trying to sound rough and rustic...
Bendis' expression sours somewhat after the half-ork is finished.
"Your concern has merit. But allow me to give you some insight upon how the decision was reached to send out a public call for help.
Our seers have been devoted to this issue for several weeks, meditating from dusk to dawn, searching their visions for pieces to the mystery. They had recieved bits and pieces involving the two Tharashk parties that had been sent -- alas, it was far too late for us to help them and their House. It was only after the news reached our kin in Stormreach, were we able to put some of the pieces together.
Our seers have also seen bits and fragments of another group, that which did not bear the Mark of Finding, and that is the counsel we provided to Tharashk -- that we are to cast our net wide and far.
It has brought you to us.
Now, be advised, that the future is ever-changing, and although we constantly monitor it -- more information, can I not give at this time."
Bendis' frown disappears -- you follow his gaze, and you notice a younger half-elf, dressed in the House colors appear in the entrance you came in.
"This is Vortan, my nephew, if there are no further questions, he will take you to the airship dock, via the House transport sled."
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